This invention relates to a swimming apparatus that makes it possible for unskilled and non-swimmers to enjoy the benefits of swimming. Even accomplished swimmers can use the described apparatus to their advantage because it will allow them to vary and supplement the exercise obtained through swimming.
Swimming, of course, is the action by which one propels oneself in water through the coordinated movement of the arms and the legs. Existing flotation devices such as kick-boards, tube-type, and mattress-type structures, may facilitate and even encourage leg movements in the water, but as yet, no effective apparatus has been developed that supports the user in the water while at the same time allowing the user to propel himself using both arms and legs together to enjoy the pleasure of unrestricted swimming. The present device accomplishes this and also provides a safe flotation method that can be used by those beginning to learn how to swim, those undergoing certain forms of physical therapy, and others lacking sufficient body strength to remain afloat without assistance. Further, because the arm motion required in using the present invention is different from that used in conventional swimming, a person who does know how to swim can use the described apparatus to exercise muscle groups that are not exercised or that are exercised in a different way during normal swimming.